#brotherly prinixety

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

Monsters in the Closet

Title: Monsters in the Closet

Summary: “You’re so much nicer when you’re bigger.” 

 Roman knows he can’t change the past. He can’t change the way he treated Virgil horribly, driving him to feel the only way he could be accepted was to be the villain of the story. But he can sit there and feel guilty knowing he is not worthy of any of the trust this young Virgil has placed in him. 

(Part of the Tiny Virgil verse, takes place after An Itsy Bitsy Nightmare)

Word-Count: 2.7k

Pairing: Brotherly Prinixety

Warnings: Guilt, Panic/Anxiety, Treating Someone Wrongfully in the Past, Deaging, Hurt/Comfort

This part of a very late birthday present for @theeternalspace! I’m so sorry this took so long, please forgive me and I hope you enjoy! :)

-

Roman lets out a sigh and opens his eyes. Virgil is still snuggled close to his chest, asleep again after waking up what appeared to be a horrible nightmare. Roman can’t find himself to fall back asleep. His mind refuses to settle, refuses to let go of what Virgil said to him moments ago. 

“You’re so much nicer when you’re bigger.”

The words rumble in Roman’s mind like that of a great and fearsome thunderstorm. How could it not? All the more confirmation that regardless of the unfounded trust young Virgil placed in him, he’d still expected to inevitably be treated terribly.

And that? The guilt of that stings deeper than any sting of the blade or a bandersnatch’s ferocious bite.

It also makes him wonder what exactly the Ankle-Terror thought was going on. Kids aren’t stupid. Naïve, yes, but that’s different from being stupid. They’re creative and innovative in ways adults couldn’t dream to be. Plus, they tended to love engaging in-depth conversations about Disney. 

Sometimes, Roman misses the days when Thomas was a kid. Back when they were free to run around in the backyard and reimagine the swings as a spaceship or the underneath of the trampoline as the lair of an evil sorcerer. Back when they weren’t bound by inane things such as time constraints and the logistics of translating an idea into a real-world possibility. 

He could get Thomas and the others roped in a fantastical make-believe for hours. Weeks even of stretching an incredible imaginary world to its limits. The only things that ever stood in their way was the outside forces of school, parents and bedtime.

Nowadays, the reminiscing with a tinge of regret. There always had to be villains to fight, you see. An evil mad scientist. A corrupt king. A greedy dragon. The list goes on and on. He never ever played the villain. He’d always cast himself and Thomas as the heroes. Logan and Patton were the supporting stars. Virgil and the rest? The villains through and through. 

Virgil at this age would be used to this treatment. Rather than in his rightful heroic role as Protector, Defender, Watcher of All Perceived Threats--he played roles such as a wicked sorcerer who cast fear and disgrace upon the entire kingdom with his heinous sorcery.

He took to the roles without much grumbling. Oftentimes, he didn’t perform to young Roman’s expectations. Roman would chastise his performances, critiquing every bit. He wasn’t ever scary or evil enough for a Side responsible for making Thomas scared of monsters under his bed.

Virgil would also veto actions such as climbing super high up a tree and using it as a crow’s nest for a pirate ship. Much to Roman’s dismay, the others would side with him. Logan because Thomas could break a bone if he should fall and Patton because their parents wouldn’t approve. Thus making Virgil a major downer at times in Roman’s eyes and all the more deserving of the villain title.

It wasn’t until Thomas was older, closer to middle school, that Virgil started lashing out. He refused to play along, slinking off to sulk in his room. His influence had also grown and suddenly it wasn’t just monsters under the bed anymore--the monsters were everywhere. Homework, Teachers, Friends, Family. Roman worked overtime to help Thomas escape to worlds unfettered by these fears.

Of course, back then, he presumed this was Virgil fully showing his true colors as an antagonist. Thomas himself believed it, wishing vehemently for Virgil to just disappear. It was Roman’s responsibility, nay his purpose, to make Thomas’s dreams and desires come true. He was the Fairy Godmother to Thomas’s Cinderella. So for years and years he’d pursued this dream, desperate to make Thomas happy, proud even.

Now, he knows better. He knows that Virgil is more than just Anxiety, just like Roman and the others are more than what their title implies. He is vigilant, he keeps Thomas safe from external threats. Sometimes he can be overzealous, but he means well. And shutting him out isn’t the answer. It never was. 

With all that in mind, he wonders if the Boy Terror thinks this is one of Roman’s elaborate make-believe games. Roman could easily picture a younger him coming up with a make-believe game involving himself and the others being adults. True, Thomas back then liked envisioning himself as a kid defeating the evil dragon like kids his age did in the media he watched. 

But all kids at some point wonder what it’d be like to be an adult. They imagined themselves in the most exciting professions that made a real impact on the world. Then they’d grow up and very few of them made it to such professions.

(Except Thomas of course. Roman is incredibly proud of him and his accomplishments as an Ex-Viner turned Youtuber. Yes, they are still far from achieving feats such as Hollywood or Broadway, but still! For a while Thomas had to settle for a real, sensible job such as a chemical engineer. While science interested him, it didn’t drive him the way that creative pursuits such as singing and acting had. Thomas is lucky to be able to have a platform to do what he loves. Roman tries reminding himself of this during incredibly rare moments of insecurity.)

Kid Fright must be ecstatic about this. For possibly the first time in his life Creativity is including him in a game without making him the villain. Adult Virgil doesn’t talk much about the past--the few times Roman has tried to breach the topic it’d been an instant shutdown. 

But Virgil has always cared for them, even before they’d all realized this. He must’ve taken any part Roman gave him out of a desperation to be with them and keep them safe. It sickens Roman just thinking about it. He doesn’t know how Virgil stayed strong for so long. Roman doesn’t know if he could’ve lasted a day in Virgil’s place.

He is probably also terrified and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Regardless of his age, Virgil always expects the worst out of any scenario. Even now that’s been a year since he’s been accepted among the core sides that make up Thomas. He can’t help it, it’s in his nature. Roman can’t blame him for it. One year isn’t enough to undo the damages that the other twenty-nine years caused.

One thing is for certain: if he does think this is one of Roman’s make-believe games, he must think Thomas is still a kid. And Roman’s not sure if he should let Virgil know any different. In fact, it might be best to keep Virgil distracted while the others work to find the solution to this strange vexing problem. Because he knows Virgil won’t take it well to finding his host all grown-up. He thinks that none of them would in his place.

So he’ll keep Fall Out Kid safe away in the mindscape and continue being the Prince he deserved. He’ll allow Virgil to be the hero and he’ll play all the other roles. Sidekick, damsel-in-distress, villain--if he must. It’s silly, but he’s almost buzzing with excitement at all the worlds they could explore from within the common area. Cowboys, Spaceship, Space Cowboys. The possibilities are endless!

A small hand tugs at his sleeve, tugging him away from his thoughts altogether. He looks down at the inquisitive eyes slightly shrouded by a mop of dirty blond hair.

“Yes, little prince?” He says, trying to blink away the prickling sensation in his eyes. 

He refuses to cry again in front of the Little Shop of Terror. He knows he will have to confront his bubbling guilt and sorrow at some point, but for now he must push it aside. He is used to this. Being a hero means sometimes remaining strong and not showing vulnerability to loved ones.

“M’hungry.” Virgil murmurs into his chest, little arms wrapped around Roman’s neck. It’s almost endearing with how much he resembles a baby possum clinging to their mother. Roman isn’t used to a Virgil so physically affectionate. 

Virgil is like a feral cat. You couldn’t hug or pat him on the shoulder without warning. You had to ask and very rarely did he accept, even if it came from Patton. No, the best way is to let him initiate it. Let him lean his head against your shoulder, or his leg overlapping your own during a movie night. 

You also don’t acknowledge it and by not acknowledging it, Virgil then inches his way more until it grows into a proper hug. Then he would withdraw and promptly act like nothing  happened. Like you were to forget the interaction ever occured in the first place.

Logan has a theory that it’s because Virgil is the Fight-or-Flight instincts and physical affection lowers his guard in a way he isn’t completely comfortable with. Roman now has a theory that it’s a lot more heartbreaking than that. 

“You’re hungry?” Roman asks, attempting to steer his mind out of Despairing Drive and into Present Place. 

 A small growling noise occurs and Jack Smallington ducks his head down, embarrassed.

Roman isn’t entirely surprised considering that it’s been about eight hours since they discovered approximately five-year-old Virgil in the place of grown-up Virgil. Who knows how long he’d been like that, alone in his room, before that. Virgil also rarely eats so the poor kid probably woke up hungry. 

Roman feels so stupid. If it’d been Patton or Logan watching him, the first thing they would’ve made sure is if he was hungry. Because kid or not, it isn’t in Virgil’s nature to be self-advocating. That type of stuff freaks him out. Yet another reason Roman is completely unqualified to watch over Virgil. 

“Okay,” Roman breaths in, smiling, “thanks for letting me know, big guy. To the kitchen at once!”

With that, he hoists Virgil up, settling him on top of his shoulders. There’s a squawk of surprise and Roman’s almost worried until it turns into a gleeful giggle. When Roman lets out a neigh, pretending he’s a horse, Virgil’s giggles grow louder.

“You’re not a horse,” Virgil says.

“Neigh I am!” Roman says, “I am your trusty steed and we’re embarking on a perilous-but-completely-safe journey to the kitchen!”

He treks towards the kitchen, clicking his tongue in an imitation of a horse clip-clopping along. 

“Faster,” Virgil urges, resting his hands on top of Roman’s head.

“Faster?” Roman asks, almost stopping in surprise. 

“Yeah!” Virgil insists, “We gotta get there as fast as possible before any monsters come and eat us!”

“Never fear,” Roman says, “For I shall get us there before any monster even thinks of gobbling us up!”

With that Roman quickens his pace, ensuring he had a firm hold onto Virgil to keep him falling off. 

 “Faster, faster, faster!” Virgil chants in an anxious yet excited tone, “I think I see one!”

“Oh?” Roman turns his head back, “Oh, I see him too! Neigh, we better hurry!”

There isn’t an actual monster there. No sharp fangs or numerous eyes glaring menacingly in their direction. He can’t tell if Virgil is making up a game or if he actually believes there is one there. Either way, Roman is Creativity. If there’s one thing he knows best, it’s how to combat imaginary foes. Such as reaching the threshold of the kitchen.

With one great bound, he makes it onto the black-and-white checkered tiles.

“Aha! Now no monsters can attack us while we feast in the dwelling of this noble kitchen!” Roman grins, setting Virgil atop the kitchen counter before jumping up to sit beside him.

Virgil beams up at him, face wide with utter delight and awe. Roman is left dumbfounded at this. Even as a kid, Virgil had been very closed-off with his emotions. So shy and distrustful of everyone and everything. But here he looks at Roman like he’s some great hero or something.

 ‘How,’ Roman wonders, ‘how can you look at me like this when I’m the obstinate villain of this story?’

“Princey,” Virgil swings his legs, “won’t Dad be upset if he finds us sitting on the counter?”

Roman blinks. At first he thinks Virgil is referring to Thomas’s father until he remembers Patton also goes by Dad. For the longest time, Pat had even been insistent that was his name. In the way that young children believe their parents’ real names really are Mom and Dad. 

“Well,” Roman says, offering a pinky, “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

“Okay.” Virgil hesitates before interlocking his tiny pinky with Roman’s.

“Excellent! Now what would you like to eat?”

“Ummmm, I--I don’t know.” Virgil bites his lips, eyes flickering around the kitchen. Roman’s heart squeezes at this. He should’ve known such an open-ended question would set his anxiety off. They’ve learned recently that it was better giving Virgil the option of clearly-defined choices rather than vague ones.

“Would you like grilled cheese or spaghetti?” He asks kindly instead. 

“Grilled cheese? With applesauce?” Virgil doesn’t meet his gaze, as if afraid Roman will condemn his choices.

Roman smiles, “Your wish is my command.” 

He could’ve just snapped the food into existence right then and there. A few years back, it would’ve been enough to suffice. But as much as the Sides influence Thomas, the same holds true the other way around. Thomas once saw a fanart of Patton cooking breakfast for the sides and the idea stuck.

 Now Roman could still summon fully prepared meals but they weren’t super filling. Roman didn’t mind too much; contrary to popular belief (Logan) cooking could be a very creative endeavor. As Thomas’s creativity he could make up steps to dishes and still have them turn out perfect in the end. He may or may not enjoy it simply because it frustrated Logan to no end. 

He hops off the kitchen counter, snapping a finger. Instantly cabinet doors magically open as the ingredients and the materials he needed floated out onto the countertop beside the stove. Okay, so he cheated a bit, but just because the others lacked a little imagination didn’t mean he couldn’t bend reality in a place where reality is inconsequential. 

Roman turns to Virgil, unable to hide his smile at Virgil’s gobsmacked expression.

“Here, you can help put butter on the bread,” He tells Virgil, handing him a butter knife.

Grilled cheese sandwiches are a quick and easy meal. Before too long, Roman hands the kid a plate with a plain grilled cheese cut in halves and a cup of prepackaged apple sauce. 

“Thank you,” Virgil squeaks out before digging in.

“Of course.” Roman says, resisting the urge to ruffle the Little Terror’s hair. Instead he takes a bite of his own grilled cheese. Admittedly, he went a bit overboard with his own grilled cheese sandwich; three different types of cheese with lettuce, tomato and pickles. He isn’t quite sure if he’s a fan of the pickles but ah well. So it goes when in the pursuit of creativity.

They eat on top of the kitchen counters with relative silence. Roman hums a bit between bites of grilled cheese. Halfway through, he notices Virgil sending him glances when he thinks Roman isn’t looking. The kid squirms a bit in place, his face twisting in apprehension. 

“Is there something troubling you, Little Prince?” Roman asks at last.

“Princey, where are the others? A--are they okay?!” 

Oh. Oh, of course. Roman’s heart aches knowing how much Virgil worries and cares for everyone, even at such a young age. He’s so quick to reassure him that he doesn’t even pause to think about the phrasing of his words.

“They’re perfectly fine, rest assured. Logan is shut away in his room reading like the insufferable nerd he is and Patton is simply checking up on our dear Thomas--”

“Thomas?” Virgil breathes in, eyes bright with alarm. His shoulders raise to his ears like hackles raising on a frightened cat.

It is at this moment Roman knew that he messed up.

“Virgil, wait--” Roman pleads, attempting to place a placating hand on his shoulder. 

Roman is too late. His hand meets air as Virgil disappears in front of him with a loud crackle. All that’s left is a plate of half-eaten grilled cheese clattering to the countertops and a terror that shakes the entirety of the mindscape. 

[not-so-innocent-bi-sander]

Could I be added to the tag list for your new story? The Dad!Picani and brotherly Prinixety one?

Of course! Thank you! 

[fanartfunart]

Can confirm The Butterfly Effect by Stillebesat is an amazing fic. Also check out any fic by @theeternalspace, I love them all but if you're looking specifically for platonic content, In Memoriam or Some Window to the Your Right are both excellent. One is brotherly prinixety focused (written before Remus was introduced) and the other is Logan focused with platonic lamp.

Ooo ok! Thanks for the suggestion! ^u^

[jzixuans]

Brotherly prinixety where Roman is the younger brother and sees his older bro Virgil as the antagonist because he's in charge whenever their parents are away and Virge never lets Roman do "anything fun" i.e dangerous and wishes he could be the older one. (meanwhile Vee cares for Ro even if he can be a brat, he's just bad at showing it) So one morning Ro wakes up and surprise! their ages have been switched. and well, being the bigger bro might not be as easy as he thought.

anon,,,,,,,,, ur mind,,,,,,,,, is so brilliant,,,

ur giving me both sides of older brother ro/virge and i loVE U

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

An Itsy Bitsy Nightmare

Title: An Itsy Bitsy Nightmare

Summary: Anxiety isn’t a monster, he isn’t. He may not be as brave or as smart as the others, but he’s a good guy. He protects Thomas, telling him to watch out for shadow demons in his closet and to not touch hot ovens. That’s good...right?

Pairings: brotherly prinixety

Word-Count: 1.1k

Warnings: Deaging, Nightmare, Panic, Crying, Hurt/Comfort

Part of the Tiny Virge AU, taking place directly after Tiny Terror. Requested by @theeternalspace and a dear anon. 

-

Anxiety feels safe. It’s a weird feeling for Anxiety--complacency isn’t something he often engages in. He is Anxiety--a big grown-up word that means worrying and fretting over possible dangers. His job is to make sure Thomas is safe. So rarely does he feel safe himself. Not when he has to stay alert for any bad things coming Thomas’ way. 

So as much as he feels safe, he also feels anxious by it. He doesn’t know what to make of Creativity’s new make-believe game. Creativity’s always liked pretending to be grown-ups. He plays house with Morality lots of times. But there’s a big difference between pretending and shapeshifting--at least in Anxiety’s book.

 Shapeshifting scares him. If good guys like princes can do it, so can bad guys. And that’s bad! How is he supposed to keep Thomas safe if he doesn’t know who the bad guys are?

He also doesn’t understand the rules of this new game. The prince is being super nice to him. Making a blanket fort, giving him Zola, telling him stories about King Arthur--all of it. Is Creativity pretending to be the Dad? No, that’s always Morality’s role. Maybe he’s trying to be like one of Thomas’ older brothers. Like when they have to watch over him when Mom and Dad are away.

Despite his confusion, Anxiety doesn’t want to question him. Creativity sometimes forgets to explain things. He thinks everyone already knows the rules and if they don’t, he gets upset. The last thing Anxiety wants is for Creativity to be upset with him! 

So Anxiety stays quiet. He listens to Creativity’s stories, trying hard to keep his eyes open. He doesn’t want to fall asleep. He wants to stay awake and for this game to last forever.

“Sir Gawain rides on his noble steed, on his way to face the nasty green knight. He fights all sorts of monsters on his way there like--” Creativity’s mouth twists, his thinking face hard at work, “--like Anxiety!” 

The prince points a finger into his stomach. Anxiety whose eyes blink rapidly as his heart clashes loudly like thunder in his ribcage.

“Me?” He squeaks, so lost and confused, “but--but I’m not a monster!”

Anxiety isn’t a monster, he isn’t. He may not be as brave or as smart as the others, but he’s a good guy. He protects Thomas, telling him to watch out for shadow demons in his closet and to not touch hot ovens. That’s good...right?

 “Yes you are!” Creativity cries, spreading his hands out wide, “You’re a wicked, atrocious monster and nobody likes you!”

Anxiety shrinks backwards, hitting the edge of the blanket fort. Run, he needs to run away. But he finds himself entangled in the blankets like a fly trapped in a spiderweb. It destroys the blanket fort in the process. He’s ruined it. Just like all the other times he’s ruined Creativity’s make-believe games.

“I’m sorry--please, I’ll be good!” Anxiety begs as the prince looms high above him, sword in hand.

“It’s okay, Anxiety,” Creativity says with a thin, crooked smile, “I’ll take care of Thomas for you.”

The sword plunges downwards and Virgil screams. He throws his arms in front of him uselessly to protect himself. They made contact with something solid. Not the sharp sting of a steel sword. Something warm, something firm yet gentle.

“Hey. Shhh, it’s okay.” Princey’s voice speaks, causing Anxiety to thrash against his grip more.

“Get away! Don’t huRT ME!” Anxiety screeches, flinching from the sound of his own voice. No, no, no. This is bad. How can he prove to Creativity he isn’t a monster when his voice echoes like that? It’s weird and wrong and not normal! 

Anxiety trembles, tugging at tufts of his hair. He can’t breath right, it comes out funny in strained huffs of air. Not enough. Anxiety is going to die--which is bad, because who’s gonna take care of Thomas? It can’t be Princey, because Princey doesn’t look before he leaps. Morality’s too nice and Logic is sometimes too curious for his own good. Even if they don’t like him much, he has to be there for them. He just has to!

“The itsy bitsy spider comes up the waterspout,” A voice sings, startling Anxiety out of his panicked reverie, “Down came the rain and washed the spider out.”

Creativity is...singing. He’s the one singing. But why? Why isn’t he attacking Anxiety? He sneaks a glance upwards, shocked to see Creativity sitting a few feet away. Not scared. The only trembles of fear is coming from Anxiety himself. The blanket-fort surrounds them, undestroyed. The soft glow of the fairy-lights twinkle up above. 

“Out comes the sun and dries up all the rain,” Creativity continues to sing, his eyes briefly meeting Anxiety. There isn’t any anger or disgust dancing in them. There’s an emotion Anxiety can’t identify. That should scare him, but it doesn’t. Not when it reminds him of freshly-baked cookies, the kind that melts in your mouth. Because this Princey is good. The Princey from moments before isn’t real--just a horrid, horrid nightmare.

Despite all their arguing, Princey would never point a sword at him. Never.

Hesitatingly, he joins in on the next line. A smile grows on Princey’s face at that. A real, genuine one. “And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.”

There’s a beat of silence. And then, before Anxiety is aware of what he’s doing, he flings himself into Creativity’s arms. He lets out a surprised grunt, but he still cocoons Anxiety close to his chest. Anxiety tries really hard not to cry as he sniffles and gasps for breath. 

“Shhh it’s okay to cry, let it out little fright-ling.” Princey tells him, stroking his hair. 

“I can’t!” Anxiety shrieks, shaking his head vigorously. He’s already cried once earlier. He can’t cry again, that’ll just make him a crybaby.

“Whyever not?”

“B-because!” 

“You know even the bravest of heroes have a good cry now and then.” “They do?” Anxiety asks, “E-ev-even you?”

“Of course,” Creativity says, “great heaving buckets of tears, even.”

Anxiety tries imagining Creativity crying like that. A waterfall of tears streaming down his face like a cartoon. It makes him laugh a little. He also cries. So much so it feels like he’s used up all the tears inside his little body. Creativity rocks him gently, reminding Anxiety of the way Thomas’ mother would comfort him after a nightmare.

“Good,” Creativity tells him, rubbing circles into his back, “you’re doing a good job, Anx.”

It doesn’t feel like he’s doing a good job. The globs of tears are all wet and sticky on his face. He can’t stop hiccuping either. Princey’s words do, however, make him feel better.

“You’re so much nicer when you’re bigger.” Anxiety whispers, clutching onto Creativity’s sash with a fierce grip. He doesn’t mean for those words to come out; it just happens.

Creativity doesn’t say anything other than to hug him tighter in response. 

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

The Tiny Terror

Title:  The Tiny Terror

Summary: (Continuation of this fic) Roman doesn’t understand why a young Virgil would trust him over Patton. With their rivalry that stems all the way to childhood, surely he’s the last one Virgil wants anything to do with. Yet Virgil trusts him, looks up at him in admiration. With Logan away researching a solution and Patton checking up on Thomas, it’s up to Roman to take care of the now kid Anxiety for the day.

Word-Count: 1.9k

Pairings: brotherly prinixety, background platonic lamp

Warnings: de-aging, crying, fear, self-doubt, guilt, bullying mention

This is a birthday fic for @theeternalspace! Happy Birthday Acantha, it’s a little hard to believe we’ve been friends for over a solid year now. You mentioned a while back you’d enjoy a continuation of this AU and well, I hope I’ve delivered :D

-

Roman isn’t scared. Brave, fearless princes like him don’t get scared. They get merely troubled or perplexed when faced with uncertain circumstances. Those emotions don’t last long, mind you. He always overcomes them to save the day and today won’t be an exception. He’s sure of it.

Virgil is tiny. Just a little rain drop compared to his normal gloomy thunderstorm self. He can’t be more than four--maybe five--years old. He’s sound asleep in Roman’s arms, the poor dude tuckered out from his crying. His little hands hold on tightly to Roman’s shirt, as if even unconscious he’s afraid of letting go.

“He’s so little.” Roman whispers, gently stroking Virgil’s hair.

He still doesn’t understand it. Even as children, Roman treated Virgil terribly. He made fun of his fears, teasing young Anxiety relentlessly. Worst yet, the rare occasions he included Virgil in games of make-believe, he always pushed Anxiety into playing the villain. 

So it wasn’t really a surprise that Virgil took that role on full-time. Not even a few years back, Roman thought it’d been only confirmation of Virgil’s true nature. Nowadays he held onto a guilt knowing he forced Virgil into that role.

So why did the Tiny Terror chose him over Patton? Kind, loving Patton who has never cruelly taunted Virgil or shunned him for simply existing? He isn’t deserving of this trust Virgil has placed in him.

Patton and Logan hover nearby, just as perplexed by the situation as Roman. Patton wrings his hands nervously. He looks like he’s seconds away from scooping his anxious kiddo into his arms and never letting go.

 Meanwhile Logan frowns, cupping his chin with one hand. It’s his classic thinking pose. All he needs is a deerstalker hat and a pipe and he’d a spitting image of Sherlock Holmes. Roman pictures a tiny Virgil trailing after Logical Side in too-large clothing as Watson and well...as Logan himself would put it, the image is too precious to process.

“It’s hard to believe we were once as little as him, isn’t it?” Patton breaths in, “he’s so cute I wanna pinch his little cheeks.”

“While he is undeniably, factually adorable, I think we should remain focused on finding out what caused this...change in him.”

“Have any hypotheses, Logan-rithm?” Roman asks.

“A few. However I’d like to do some research just to be certain,” Logan pauses, “It might be also wise for one of us to check up on Thomas and to see if this change is affecting him in any way.”

Roman and Patton glance at one another.

“I can go--” Roman begins, but Patton waves him off.

“No, it’s okay! I can do it! Besides,” He smiles knowingly, “you have your hands full already.”

“Indeed,” Logan adjusts his glasses, “since Virgil seems to inexplicably trust you he might wake up distressed if you are not with him.”

“Then on my word as a knight, I shall keep him safe while you two are off on your own quests.”  Roman vows, forsaking his usual bow since he was holding Virgil. 

“Yes, well, I shall go to my room now to research.” Logan says, sinking out.

“I’m sure you’ll do a terrific job, kiddo!” Patton says as he sinks out, leaving both Roman and Virgil alone in the hallway of the Mindscape.

“Well,” Roman says, looking down at Virgil, “it’s just us, little prince.”

Virgil grumbles in his sleep, shifting slightly. His young face is devoid of the dark eyeshadow Roman is so used to seeing on him. When had he started wearing the eyeshadow? Had it been high school? Roman couldn’t recall. 

He walks to the mindscape common area, careful not to jostle Virgil along the way. He could’ve teleport himself and Kid Fright over there but he was worried that rising up would have a negative effect on Virgil like it did for his adult self.  Once there, he gently lays Virgil down on the couch. Or at least, he attempts to do so. 

“Nooo,” Virgil whimpered, his shrill voice spooking Roman. He nestles his head further into the nook between Roman’s neck and shoulder. He clings to Roman, his grip tighter than any two-headed python that Roman has ever fought.

“You said you wouldn’t let go.” Virgil drowsily mumbles, muffled by Roman’s shirt, “don’t leave  me!”

Oh, Roman thinks as his heart threatens to break, of course Virgil would have separation anxiety. Little kids often had it. He wonders if growing up, Virgil was left alone and terrified because no one wanted to be with him. He tries shaking that thought away. He has to focus on how he can help Virgil now, in the present.

“I am truly sorry for breaking my promise, little raindrop,” Roman says, “I’ll stay with you and protect you from any evil Dragon Witch, knight’s honor.”

Virgil shifts, his little head popping up to look at him.

“Really?” Virgil asks, his eyes so bright and hopeful at the prospect that it hurts Roman’s heart even more.

“Really.” Roman says, booping Virgil’s nose. The kid actually giggles from it. Roman isn’t sure if he’s ever heard Virgil properly laugh before in his life. Usually it’s a dry, sarcastic chuckle or faint muffled laughter from Virgil covering his mouth. When Virgil gets back to normal, Roman decides to make it his mission to get an actual laugh out of the anxious side.

“Hey, wanna help me make a blanket fort?” He asks.

Virgil starts to nod his head before hesitating, “I--I don’t know how!”

“That’s okay, I can show you how if you’d like.”

A small smile slips onto his face, “Okay.”

“Alright,” Roman says, “Let’s get down to business!”

With a single hand, he conjures up the most fluffiest, softest pillows, blankets and stuffed animals imaginable. He looks at Virgil, who has his eyes on the purple bat plushie.  He grins, pleased to know he’d been right to summon that one. He moves toward it, propping Virgil on one hip in order to grab it.

“Here you go.” He says, presenting the bat plushy with the reverence it deserves. 

“I can have it?” Virgil asks, squinting his eyes at Roman, “N-no tricks?” 

Roman wants to throttle whoever dared to hurt young Virgil, himself included, right then and there. No child should be so hesitant about receiving a toy because they’re afraid someone is going to snatch it away last second. However, he doesn’t want to frighten Virgil anymore than he probably is. Instead he takes a deep breath and smiles.

“No tricks, little prince. Her name is Zola and she likes it when you hug her, it helps her feel less scared. You think you can take care of her for me?”

“Y-yeah.” Virgil tentatively nods, and Roman places the bat plushie into his arms.

“Good. Now let’s make the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious blanket fort!”

“Supercali--super--” Virgil frowns, “what’s that?”

“Why it’s something to say when you have nothing to say!” 

“That’s silly.”

“No it isn’t.”

“It is too!”

The two settle into a lighthearted, childish banter as they set up the blanket fort. It’s a bit difficult, since Virgil continues to koala-cuddle him but Roman makes it work. With the finishing touch of fairy-lights, Roman thinks it’s quite grand. It’s been a while since he’s made a blanket fort. It’s mostly a thing both him and Patton indulge in. Logan sees them as impractical and Virgil, well. For whatever reason, Virgil has never been open to them.

“What now?” The little Imp of Fright asks, still staring at Roman like he holds the entire world in the palm of his hand. Had Virgil always look up at him with such love and admiration when they were kids? How was his younger self so blind to it? How could he take one look at Virgil and decide he was a villain that needed to be slain? 

“Creativity?” Virgil tugs at his sleeve, clutching Zola to his chest with his other hand, “You okay?”

Roman jolts out of his thoughts, “Oh, yes, I’m fine!”

“No you’re not, you’re crying!” 

“Oh,” He touches his wet cheeks, “I suppose I am.”

“Is-is it me?” Virgil hiccups, “Did I do something bad? I’m sorry--please don’t get upset--”

“Anx, take a deep breath,” Roman cuts in, trying to keep the kid from working himself up too much, “You’re okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But you were crying. That’s bad!” Virgil exclaims, on the edge of sobbing himself.

Oh dear Hera, Roman thinks. He’s not cut out for this. Patton would know how to calm Virgil down, how to explain things away in a positive, uplifting note. Logan would even be better than him. He could stay calm and rational, diverting Virgil’s attention to some fascinating fact. However they aren’t here and so he must try to do his best without them.

“Not all tears are bad,” Roman says, “sometimes...people get so happy they cry tears of joy. I just got so happy, because we were able to make the best blanket fort I’ve ever seen in my life! And you, little prince, helped. Why, I think it’s even more marvelous than King Arthur’s castle. Surely, you’ve heard of King Arthur?” 

“N-no,” Virgil sniffles.

“Well that won’t do,” Roman declares, “I guess I will have to rectify that by telling you the story of how he became King.”

Somewhere in the midst of his superfluous retelling of Arthurian legends, the two end up in the cozy confines of the blanket fort. Virgil sits on his lap, holding Zola as Roman waves his hands around as he speaks. Slowly, Virgil gets more captivated, asking questions of his own. 

“Wasn’t King Arthur scared?” Virgil asks at one point.

“Oh of course not. The Knights of the Round Table were there with him. He knew with his friends by his side, they’d be able to defeat the dragon together.”

“What do they do?”

“What do they do? Well, of course, dragons are crafty beings, so they had to hatch up a plan that would fool even the smartest of dragons…”

He’s enjoying this a little too much, to be honest. It has been a long, long while since he’s tapped into his core function in such a way. When he was younger, he used to make up stories on the spot all the time. He never cared which direction it went, so long as it ended happily. Nowadays, he doesn’t have time to waste on such needless whimsy. All of his ideas must be dedicated towards Thomas’ career in some way. They must be big and important. They must be perfect or else they don’t matter at all.

Halfway through, his little prince lets out a yawn with Roman following suit. 

“I guess we’re both getting sleepy, huh?” Roman muses. He had stayed up until the devil’s hour to finish a new video idea, so it’s no wonder he’s yawning as well.

“I’m not!” Virgil protests, even as another yawn escapes him, “I wanna know what happens next to Sir Gawain!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll keep going.” Roman says and he holds to that promise. He keeps on going until he asks the Child of the Corn a question and he doesn’t answer. He glances down to see Virgil curled up against him once more, fast asleep. Carefully, he maneuvers himself and Virgil until they are both lying down on the pile of blankets and couch cushions. 

“Sleep well, Virgil,” He whispers, pulling a soft, fuzzy blanket over the kid.

Roman can’t change the past. Virgil will return to his cankerous, worrywart adult self soon, he’s sure of it. For now, Roman will be the prince that the kid Virgil used to be deserved.

< A Little Prince | The Tiny Terror | An Itsy Bitsy Nightmare > 

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

got any,,,,, brotherly prinxiety doodles? -blink

I sure do! My older sister used me as arm-rest all the time when I was a head shorter than her and you can’t tell me big bro Roman wouldn’t do the same to lil bro Virgil or vice versa. (Also this is lowkey from the same universe as this AU)

Transparent version and tag list below!

General Tag List: @jade-dragon226-fan @punsterterry @romansanders @fandergecko also tagging @blinksinbewilderment 

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

Clover

“Viiiirgil.” His kid brother called out.

“Whaaaat?” Virgil said, in a much more grumbling manner. He was neck-deep in homework and the last thing he needed on his plate was Roman dragging him into one of his imaginary make-believes.

Roman grinned, holding something behind his back, “I have a present for you!”

“Please tell me it isn’t another frog prince in need of a kiss.”

“Noo, not this time!” Roman huffed.  “You gotta close your eyes first, though?”

“Why?”

“Because it is a surprise!”

“How do I know this is a good surprise and not a surprise attack from the Dragon Witch?”

“Because I said so! Prince’s honor!” Roman said, holding out his pinky for the revered pinky swear. 

Virgil eyed it warily before latching his much bigger pinky around Roman’s smaller one. 

“Now close your eyes! Close your eyes!” Roman clamored. 

“Alright, alright!” Virgil closed his eyes, nose scrunching as he held out a hand. Please don’t let it be a cockroach this time, please don’t let it be a cockroach this time--oh. 

Roman deposited something..small and soft. Something plant-like.

“Now open ‘em!”

Virgil stared down at his curled hand where a four-leaf clover laid.

“I found it while adventuring!” Roman said, flashing a toothy grin, “Four-leaf clovers give good luck, right? And I know that you’ve been studying really really hard for school so I thought maybe the clover can help you do really good!”

Virgil carefully set the four-leaf clover on his desk, suddenly finding his eyes swelling with tears. What the hell? The 3am essay writing sessions must be finally getting to him.

“Why are you crying? Are you sad?” Roman said, poking him in the arm, “is there someone I need to kill?”

“No--I just, thanks Ro. It, uh, means a lot--OOF!”

Roman launched himself into Virgil’s arms, causing the teenager hit the carpeted floor hard.

“What are you doing?” Virgil asked, fighting the urge to laugh. It would ruin his reputation as the older brother with an emo grunge aesthetic.

“Patton told me hugs get rid of all the sadness so that’s what I’m doing!”

Virgil sighed bemusedly, finally hugging his little brother back.

“Love you too, Ro.”

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

Micro-Fics

Fics that are 400 words and below. From oldest to most recent.

Why can’t you just listen to me?: Logan has a breakdown

A Bad Case of the Giggles:  Logan finds that everything is hilarious when you’re suffering from a high fever, brotherly logicality

Remorse:  Logan dislikes entering Patton’s room, but for different reasons than what you might initially think.

Betrayal:  Virgil often comes to Patton to vent. He’s absolutely devastated when Patton tries enlisting Logan’s help behind Virgil’s back about a problem he’s having.

Ransom:  “I’m sorry to inform you that your papers are being held for ransom by the Dragon Witch.”/ In which Roman steals Logan’s papers in an attempt for him to take a break. platonic logince

Friends:  “Are we…are we friends now?” platonic analogical

The Library:  Logan came to the library for the books. He did not expect to find love there, outside of the romance section of course. ambiguous ship

Broken: “I–I think that I’m broken, Virgil.” Platonic Analogical

Humpty Dumpty: “What if I’m Humpty Dumpty?” Roman’s voice trembled, eyes shut tightly in a pathetic attempt to keep the tears from spilling out, “What if I can’t be put back together again?” Platonic Logince

Hot Chocolate:  You’re on fire, literally. Your shirt is on fire.” platonic moxiety

Long Lost Love: Logan mourns his beloved.

No Dabbing at the Wedding Ceromony: Virgil wants to defile Roman’s perfectly good wedding with memes, how dare he! romantic prinixety

No Dabbing at the Wedding Ceremony 2.0: But this time featuring romantic Analogical

Clover: Roman has a good-luck present for his big brother. Virgil just hopes it isn’t a cockroach again. brotherly prinixety

Confession: Logan has a confession to make to Patton

Plaid to Meet You: A prequel fic to Tear-Stains and Tattered Jackets, platonic moxiety

Forever: Virgil ponders if his new-found friendship with Patton will last, platonic moxiety

Lizard on the Porch:  Virgil finds an unusually large lizard on the porch.

The Spring Snafu: Roman tries inviting Logan and Virgil to his spring celebration hosted in the middle of August. It goes well as you’d expect

Tonight I’ll Need You to Stay: Virgil hardly ever opens the door unless it’s the pizza guy. So it’s a good thing he opened it this time to help out a friend in need. platonic moxiety

Beetles:  Patton meets a boy that has an obsession with beetles. platonic logicality

Scared: Virgil seeks out his older brother in the aftermath of a nightmare. brotherly prinixety

Don’t: Patton isn’t ready to get his heart broken again by the man standing at his front door.

Depression: There is a person in a room somewhere in the world. Surely you’ve been that person at some point. platonic analogical

Heavenly: “You’re...heavenly.” platonic prinixety

Finding Optimism: It isn’t as easy as finding loose change. platonic lamp

Calling: As a demon, Deceit must answer any and all summons. Even idiotic ones.

Sink into the Soil: It’s pathetic, Roman thinks, to be reduced to a shriveling sobbing shell of a someone once so proud and confident. platonic roceit

Giggly: The first sign of things going terribly wrong was Logan giggling. The man never giggled. platonic logince

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

Heya!! For that fanfic asks: 25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read

Ooooh. 

Anything by @delimeful, but especially Shapes in the Silence and Watch it Rust and Burn. I really do love every work by them and they write a fantastic depiction of Virgil

Love is a Four Letter Word by @virmillion tore my heart out. Like I cried and I never cry at fics. It’s a beautiful fic and the worldbuilding is intriguing but fair warning there is major character death.

I adore @lefaystrent‘s Kid Logan Series, involving an adult Logan waking up in the body of his kid self and the shenanigans that ensue. Like seriously go check it out, it’s equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, in typical Lefay fashion. But again, seriously check out all their fics, it’s good stuff.

@stillebesat‘s fics are always a delight. I think my favorite this year is probably Growing Pains because I’ve returned to that one time and time again. What can I say I’m a sucker for a good hurt/comfort. 

I’m a big fan of In Memoriam by @theeternalspace, I think the name is super cool sounding and the fic was beta’d by, uh, a really awesome person. In all seriousness, this is a fic focusing on brotherly prinixety. The plot is centered on an amnesiac Roman stumbling out of the Imagination to discover he’s not a prince, he’s not even his own person, he’s...apparently someone’s Creativity? He and Virgil go on a quest in the Imagination to try and figure out the mystery behind his memory loss and it is really great. Acantha outdid herself as always. 

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

12 for the writer ask meme?

12. Share a dumb line from an old wip

It occurred to Roman, halfway through battling a manticore chimera, he was dreaming. He didn’t mind this though. What he did mind, was the sunlight shining on his face—stirring him awake. Right when he was about to defeat the ferocious beast!

this is more than a few lines, but Idk I just don’t like the overall writing in this whole wip?? Like that’s probably why it’s still unfinished lol.

 I still really love the concept tho. It’s basically “What if Roman was the Dragon Witch?” featuring brotherly prinixety. Aka kid!Roman and his big bro Virgil who recently turned sixteen years of age. Their mother was a dragon witch--a dangerous thing to be in a kingdom that condemns magic. Virgil didn’t inherit her dragon witchiness but Roman does. 

Roman starts growing little horns and inadvertently doing little spurts of magic, which causes Virgil to panic because their mother is dead (their father too) and isn’t around to help teach Roman how to conceal it. So Virgil takes Roman and just straight-up starts trekking to the kingdom borders, over to another kingdom that’s more friendly to magic-users.

Only, Virgil hasn’t shared w/ Roman what exactly is going on, because he doesn’t want to scare Roman with the severity of the situation. He tells them they’re going on an adventure which Roman eats up because all his favorite heroes go on adventures and now he gets to be like them!! Virgil also tells him he has to wear a cloak at all times because it’s a special cloak that’ll protect him against bad guys.

Occasionally they have to stay at a village for a few days, so Virgil can do a short-term job to ensure they have food and money to keep on traveling. During this, Roman hears a story about a hero defeating a villainous dragon-witch. This leads to a heart-breaking moment where Roman is enacting a make-believe game against an imaginary dragon-witch and Virgil is horrified, knowing Roman would be devastated to know he is a dragon witch because he’ll take that to mean he is evil.

So eventually, it’s getting harder and harder to conceal what Roman is--and eventually he gets found out, and there’s like an angry mob swarming them and Virgil is trying his best to protect Ro, who is indeed devastated to find his true heritage. I can’t remember how I decided I’d end it, but there is a happy ending. 

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

Prinxiety - bandaid

Title: Dandelions and Roly-Pollies

Summary: Every time Roman blew on a dandelion, he always wished for the same thing, each and every time; a little brother.

It took over a hundred dandelions for that wish to come true.  

Word-Count: 638

Pairings: brotherly prinixety

Warnings: talk of roly-pollies, injury, crying--it’s very minor I promise.

Takes place in the same universe as this ficlet. Tagging @blinksinbewilderment just ‘cause ;)

Roman twirls a dandelion absently in his hand. Nostalgia washes over him as he recalls all the times he blew on a dandelion for a wish. He always wished for the same thing, each and every time; a little brother.

It takes over a hundred dandelions for that wish to come true.  

Roman’s gaze drifts over to Virgil, who happily digs in the dirt nearby. He has taken a fascination recently to pill-bugs or what he and every child call “roly-pollies.” He is on a hunt to find them, and their mom has allowed him to dig in a specific area of the backyard with her gardening towel. His little face scrunches up in concentration, a sight Roman finds adorable.

“Ro!” Virgil exclaims, “I found one!”

He bounds over to Roman, eager to share his discovery. However, in his haste to get to Roman, he doesn’t pay attention to where he is running. Virgil goes tumbling down, face-planting onto the ground.

A few seconds of silence follow, before Virgil’s wailing scream pierces the air. Roman’s heart leaps. He knows the injury was likely not serious. Yet sound of Virgil’s duress still scares him.

“Virgil, I’m here. Where does it hurt?” Roman says, rushing to his little brother’s side. 

“H-here.” Virgil snivels, pointing at his knee, which has a nasty scrape, “B-but Samantha!”

He bursts into tears.

“Who?” Roman asks, lost.

“Samantha the Roly-Pollie!” Virgil says, as if that should’ve been obvious, “I dropped her when I-I fell!”

“Oh,” Roman swallows. He peers around the grass, but couldn’t find any sign of the roly-pollie, “I am sure she is fine. Roly-pollies are as tough as dragons.”

“She probably hates me now!”

“I’m sure she doesn’t!” Roman reassures him, “I’m sure she knows you didn’t mean to drop her. That was an accident.”

“Are you sure?” Virgil looks up at him, uncertain.

“As sure as the sun shines,” Roman says solemnly, “Now, let’s get that scrape looked at, hmm?”

Roman gives Virgil a piggyback back into the house, pretending to a noble steed to Virgil’s knight. It elicits a laugh from Virgil, which is always a win in Roman’s book.

He sits Virgil down on the bathroom counter before rummaging for the necessary supplies. He finds a hand towel and holds it under the faucet for a few seconds.

“Now, this is gonna hurt a little, okay?” Roman says, holding up the now wet hand towel

Virgil nods, and Roman starts to clean the scrape up. The younger boy winces from the contact, but held still.

“Well done, my dark and stormy knight,” Roman praises him, “now for a very important question--Spiderman or Finding Nemo?”

Roman waves the two different band-aid boxes in front of him. Virgil hesitates, before silently pointing to Spiderman.

“A valorous choice.” Roman says.

He squirts a glob of antibotic ointment onto the band-aid before placing it firmly on Virgil’s scrape.

“There! All better.”

Virgil however, still looks upset.

“What’s wrong, Vee?” Roman asks.

“You forgot to kiss it better!” Virgil blurts out, his eyes darting away from Roman in embarrassment.

“Ah, of course! How could I forget the magical healing properties of kisses?” Roman says, before kissing Virgil’s Spiderman band-aid, “there! Now it’s all better.”

Virgil stares down at the band-aid, poking it with a finger. Roman’s eyebrows furrow. Was Virgil still upset?

But then Virgil leans over, hugging Roman’s middle as fiercely as he could. Roman freezes, startled. Virgil rarely initiates hugs.

“Thank you Roman, you’re the best.” Virgil mumbles into Roman’s t-shirt.

“No problem.” Roman chokes, wrapping his own arms around Virgil.

Roman blew a hundred dandelions, wishing for a little brother. Everyone knows that wishes couldn’t come true if spoken aloud. Roman broke that rule every single time. Yet, somehow he still has ended up with the best little brother anyone could ask for.

General Tag List: 

@asymmetricalgarbage8888@karebearmay@punsterterry@ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @madly-handsome  @i-just-wanna-be-alone-blog @remy-alagaesias-dragon-queen@otaku-marijane@cryingtitan@pathos-logical @moonstone-fox@fandergecko@themarijuanamason @impromptu-sanity  @a-pastel-pan@cyberchick56 @evilmuffin @lunareclipse-524@unikornavenger @a-demonic-presence @callboxkat@bi-luna-rose@thehowlofthewolf  @analogical-mess  @why-should-i-tell-youu2@satanblessi

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

@ blinksinbewilderment

@blinksinbewilderment First of all, I love Blink’s url, it stimulates my writer’s brain very nice. It may be because of her love for Logan, but I imagine our brainy side blinking in bewilderment at some antic that the other sides are pulling. I love her art style and the colors she uses--along with the kickass fics she occasionally puts out. Plus Blink is a supporter of brotherly prinixety and I respect that very much. We’ve interacted mainly over dashboard and my feelings for her is summed in this one vine. 

Please No More Tumblr Url Asks, Thank you!

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

deceit, princey, and eyeshadow for the asks!!

eyeshadow - do you ship any of the sides together? which is your OTP? 

I don’t ship any of the sides romantically, but my favorite platonic ship is Moxiety. I’m a sucker for any fic & art that features them as father-son, although them as best friends or brothers is equally as good.

Also @blinksinbewilderment​ opened my eyes to the wonderful thing that is brotherly prinixety so shoutout to her, she’s amazing and also a fantastic artist 

deceit - do you have a least favorite pairing or ship? if so what ship and why?

I really don’t want to bring it up given the recent discourse, so if you know…you know

princey - do you have a favorite moment (or a few favorite moments) from the series? tell us about them!

So many!

Patton and Logan showing up in onesies for the Heart vs. The Mind. It was so unexpected but such a great humanizing moment for the Sides. like they have their own form of downtime outside of helping Thomas type of thing

“You make us…better” speech that Roman gives in AA part 2. Like how can that not be included in top ten best moments of Sander Sides all time?

Also I love how perceptive Patton is in Accepting Anxiety and how he’s the only one who realizes Virgil is missing at first

Deceit’s “I’m sorry I can’t understand you–I don’t know anything about words!”

In fact anything involving Deceit in S vs S is gold

“Because I was one of them.” hi yes it’s me and I’m crying about how brave Virgil was to open up to Thomas and how he’s always trying his best and I need resolution for this in the next episode

Logan’s “That is why I say it!” complete with the clapping

And so, so, so much more

Sander Sides Asks!

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

This fic has turned into angsty brotherly prinixety fun times when that wasn’t even supposed to be the focus of this fic smh

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

The brotherly prinixety fics are the one AU I have that is relatively Angst-free. And someone just sent in a prompt that could become very angsty....hmmmhnmm